Investigation Into Cause Of Wilmington Church Fire Continues

By Greg Argos

WILMINGTON, Del., (CBS) -- Federal investigators are now trying to piece together what sparked a fire at a Wilmington, Delaware church Wednesday night.

Incredible drone video shows the moment part of the New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church's roof collapsed.

It's the second fire in as many weeks.

Unfortunately this one leaving the church a pile of rubble.

"It's real difficult to see something go down that you love. It's really difficult," said Reverend C. Eugene Brocks.

Reverend Brocks says despite the destruction:

"It's like I lost a child."

His congregation will band together and continue meeting for Sunday service.

"They will meet this Sunday at a community center."

Thursday workers collected pieces of the rubble looking for the point of origin.

As federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents interviewed neighbors about what they may have seen, standard protocol CBS 3 is told whenever a church catches fire for an unknown reason.

"Because of the possible hate crime which will be associated with the incident."

Battalion Chief Timothy Perkins would not say whether this fire was suspicious, though he was quick to tell CBS 3 what this means for this Wilmington, Delaware community.

"It's been here for so long, as long as I can remember, a pillar in the community and obviously we want to get to a determination as to where it started," said Battalion Chief Perkins.

And that's also Reverend Brocks' hope, now dealing with a second blaze which destroyed his place of worship.

"I never heard lightning strike twice in the same week. I never heard that before but it could have happened here."

Once again, the key right now is trying to determine how and where this fire started. No word yet on those answers.